We have identified an herbal extract that inhibits cancer cell's growth. The active compounds were purified and their structures identified to be novel triterpenoid saponins. Varicose veins are swollen and knotted veins that can occur in any part of the body, especially in the calf, inside leg or around the anus. Escin has been satisfactorily used for treating Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency for many years. Escin is a mixture of saponins found in the seed of the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum L., Hippocastanaceae. Escin is the major active ingredient prepared from Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae), the horse chestnut tree. In one controlled trial study, aescin was shown to be as effective as compression therapy as an alternative to medical treatment for CVI. The therapeutic benefit is well supported by a number of experimental investigations in different animal models. See Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy. New saponin compounds with two angeloyls have been provided in International PCT Application No. PCT/US04/33359, filed Oct. 8, 2004, and U.S. Ser. No. 10/906,303. Yingjie Chen, Tadahiro Takeda and Yukio Ogihara reported four new saponin compounds that were isolated from the fruits of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge in Chem. Pharm. Bull., 33(1)127-134, 1985; 33(3)1043-1048, 1985 and 33(4)1387-1394, 1985. Other related studies on saponin compounds include: triterpenoid saponins and acylated prosapogenins from Harpullia austro-caledonica (Voutquenne et al. 2002); six triterpennoid saponins from Maesa laxiflora (Zhong et al. 1999); new triterpene saponin from Pittosporum viridiflorum from the Madagascar rainforest (Young et al. 2002); anti-HIV-1 protease triterpenoid saponins from the seeds of Aesculus chinensis (Yang et al. 1999); triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Lu et al. 2000); new acylated triterpenoid saponins from Maesa laceceolata (Apers et al. 1999); isolation and structure elucidation of four new triterpenoid estersaponins from fruits of the Pittosporumtobira AIT (D'Acquarica et al. 2002) and method for the prevention and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,680). The contents of the above-mentioned references are hereby incorporated by reference.
Human cells are surrounded by aquatic environments. Aquaporins is a family of transmembrane water-channel transporting proteins that play a major role in trans-cellular and transepithelial water movement. This invention shows that the triterpene saponins with two angeloyls have stronger activity for inhibiting cancer cell growth by affecting membrane functions. In an embodiment they affect the aquaporin and permeability of cell membrane.